Grenade



F. SHORT Dec. 24, 1946.-

GRENADEr Filed March l, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm Trank Shari F. SHORT Dec. 24, 1946.

GRENADE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March l, 1945 Jill l Tank Eh nrt 3M CJYMMMM A Patented Dec. 24, 1946 stares? (Granted under the act of March s, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) 3v Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to hand grenades.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eifective weapon of this class in which the ring mechanism is remote from the primer when the grenade is in unarmed condition, but which will be quickly brought into armed condition, when the safety cover is removed.

Another object is to provide a grenade that in use under some conditions of warfare, comprises a comparatively large part that performs an important function, may be telescoped, upon the main body of the grenade whenk being carried or to facilitate shipment, or when the weapon is used under conditions where it is not desirable to use a tail device.

The invention contemplates a combination of a novel striking device with a well known striker, and a combination with a well known grenade fuse with a novelly arranged fuse, the object being to assure the explosion of the grenade re gardless of the position in which it lands.

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of the grenade some of the parts being in section, the detonator shell being partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan aboutl on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Y Fig. 4 is a vertical section of about theV line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section, showing the grenade body proper enveloped in what, in use, is the tail cone or tail of the device useful in certain kinds of warfare.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the throw-o cover of the grenade.

On the drawings the numeral I, designatesthe main body of the grenade, which may be made of heavy cardboard or plastic. The body is preferably conoidal in shape and contains at its lower end a block 2, which may be of wood or plastic, the block fitting snugly in the body and supporting a detonator 3 having a primer 3' the deto nator extending through the solid explosive charge f3 in which there is a chamber or space 5 to permit the operation of the firing pin assembly, the parts of which will presently be described.

The upper end of the body I is formed with annular corrugatlons 6 that cooperate with similar corrugations 'I on the outer periphery of a metallic ring 8, having formed integrally therewith, cross bars 9 between which is pivoted at 2 I0 an L-shape member I2, in which is supported and works the firing pin or striker I3 provided with a head I!! between which and the member I2 is interposed a spiral spring Ill', keeping the firing pin normally away from the primer 3 on the detonator 3.

As illustrated, the pivoted member I2 and the firing pin are in unarmed position by reason of the contact between the arm I 2' of said member and the underside of the safety cover It of the safety lever I5. The safety lever is apertured at I8 for the passage of an eye I9, on the periphery of a clamping ferrule 20, the eye receiving a Cotter pin 2I,`which, as usual, is removed before the grenade is thrown. The ferrule 2li, has an inturned annular lip 22 under which extends a narrow'tongue 23 opposite the point of mounte ing of the safety lever on the ferrule, the lip and tongue acting as a fulcrum for the safety lever and cover when they are thrown off. Thel means for throwing or kicking off the cover and lever, comp-rises a spiral spring 24, attached at one end to an eye 25 on the arm I2 and at the other to a similar eye 26 on the inner periphery of the ring 8, the spring exerting a constant and strong pull tending to rock the member I 2 to gether with its firing pin, on the pivot IQ, which movement of said member kicks the cover off when the lever I5 is released in throwing the grenade. Obviously, when the spring 2li, acts to erect the member IZ, the member brings with it the ring pin I3, and positions it as shown in dotted lines Figure 1, wherein the said member will engage a stop pin I2 in ears 9' on the bars 9.

The lower part of the body I, is reduced in diameter to form a cylindrical sleeve 2l, against which is suitably tted an annular truncated ring 23 of Wood or plastic material. To the outer periphery of' this ring is secured in any suitable manner, the upper end of a truncated tail cone 29, which may be conveniently made of wood or plastic. This cone is retained in place by a catch spring 30 through the upper loop of' which passes a pin SI vsecured to the sleeve. The spring as shown, has laterally extending arms 32, that iit under the lower surface of the ring 28 and hold the grenade body and tail cone together, it being only necessary to compress the springs sufficiently to permit its arms to pass through the sleeve 21 to remove the cone.

The shape of the hollow cone 29 and the grenade body is the same, thus permitting the cone to be removed from its relationship to the body as shown in Figure 1, and inverted or reversed 3 and slipped over the -body as shown in Figure 5, rendering the whole device more compact for carrying or shipping or for use where the tail cone is not necessary or desirable. It'will be noted that in this changed relative position between the cone and grenade body that the retaining spring remains in the sleeve as before, with its arms 32 in readiness to support and retain the cone in its nested relation with the grenade body, the arms in this case engaging the narrow end of the ring 28, instead of the wider` j end.

In Figure 1 part of the detonator shell is broken away, showing the detonating arrangement preferred, in which the main part of the detonating charge a is comparatively low down in the main explosive charge, and ignited by rnedium such for instance as a Bickford fuse b. I desire it understood however, that I do no-t limit myself to the use of any particular fuse, as the kind will be used best suited and most appropriate to grenade practice, as dictated by the exigencies of the case.

To better denne the chamber 5, and stabilize with certainty the explosive charge, and to make the weapon more effective upon explosion, I prefer to provide a conical lining 33 of metal, which by the explosion of the main charge is formed into a destructive slug to increment the other disseminated parts. l t

Having described in detail one set of parts and explained the manner of their operation, which ordinarily will result in the explosion of the grenade, I will now describe the additional means for surely exploding it, regardless of the position in which it may land, or whether it lands at all.

'Ihe numeral 33 designates a platform which is preferably made integral with one of the cross bars il, there being two ears 34 integral with the platform for the passage of the pin 35 upon which is mounted the usual spring 36 with one end extending through an aperture in the platform and the other located beneath the hammer 31. The throw of the hammer under the inuence f the spring 3E, when the cover flies off, brings it into contact with the primer' 3B securedin the platform. Connected with this primer is a second fuse 39 which may be of any suitable kind, but

preferably of the Bickford type. This fuse is cut into the detonator 3 at a point a suitable distance below the detonators upper end as shown.

For the explosion of the grenade by the ring pin I3 contacting with the primer 3', the grenade must strike head down which, guided by the lighter appendage in the way of the guide cone grenade is thrown and the safety and protective coveris kicked off by the joint action of the arm l2 under the influence of its spring 24, and the hammer 37, under the inuence of its spring. If the grenade strikes head down or in position to operate the iring pin I3, the fuse in the detonator 3 will be immediately ignited and will explode the charge in the predetermined time for such action, but should it fall on its side, or in some position other than that in which the firing pin will j bev operated, the other fuse 39 will have simultaneously been ignited and is standing guard against the failure of its companion fuse.

I claim:

1. A grenade comprising a body having a chamber therein, an explosive charge, a primer carrying detonator in said charge with its primer end in the chamber, a throw-off cover for the chamber, a pivoted member in the chamber, a spring-backed firing pin slidable in said member and having a portion extendable beyond the said body and adapted to operate the firing pin upon impact, said pivoted member being in contact with the cover to hold said member and firing pin in unarmed position, and spring means normally urging the pivoted member and its ring pin to armed position against the resistance of the throw-off cover.

2. A grenade comprising a body partially filled with an explosive charge, a primer carrying detonator positioned to detonate said charge, a firing pin mechanism in the body and including a spring-backed ring pin pivotally mounted in said body and positioned transversely thereof, said iiring pin having a portion extendable beyond the grenade body to operate the firing pin upon impact, a throw-off cover for the body, connections between the firing mechanism and the cover whereby the firing pin is held in unarmed position by said cover, and spring means urging the firing pin into axial alignment with the detonator against the resistance of said throw-off cover.

3. A grenade comprising aV body having a charge chamber, an explosive charge in said chamber, a primer and detonator axially disposed in said chamber, a rockable member in the chamber positioned normally transversely of said body, a spring-backed iiring pin slidably mounted in said member and having a portion extendable beyond the chamber in armed position and adapted to operate the iiring pin upon impact, a throw-off cover for the chamber, an extension on said rockable member in engagement with the cover to maintain said rockable arm in unarmed position, means urging said member into axial alignment with said primer, a second primer in the chamber having a fuse connecting with said detonator, a hammer pivotally mounted adjacent to last mentioned primer and held inoperative by engagemement withthe throw-0H cover, and spring means vnormally urging said hammer to armed position against the resistance of said throw-off cover.

FRANK SHORT. 

